Tag: thoughts

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Gunpoint Values

“Your money or your life?” the man before him sensibly asked while holding a gun and looking stoned. And Leon took a moment to contemplate his response. See, he had $5000 dollars on him that he had been taking to the bank to deposit. It was all the money he had in the world, and he didn’t know if he could face the life he would have to live if he handed it over. It seemed to him like the classic “six of one, half a dozen of another” scenario he had seen often on his favorite television programs.

“Can I just give you some of my money?” he asked, serious as a heart attack. “‘Cause I got bills and alimony, and I owe this bookie.” The man looked at him like Leon had just grown two extra heads, and he smirked. It was all so amusing to the man who was wearing patent leather shoes, Leon thought angrily. For a moment he didn’t even see the gun, he was so livid. Then he focused on the danger he was in once more and shivered.

“Your money or your life,” the thug with the nice footwear repeated, this time as a statement instead of a question. Continue reading “Gunpoint Values”

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Trying to Sound Smart

Want to sound smart or want to be smart?

I remember when I was six years old and I wanted to sound just like my mama. I wanted to sound “grown up.” I would go around the house repeating what she said, so I could sound smart, but I would get it all mixed up. When I wanted to say “shirt” and it came out “shit,” though, that was the final straw. My mother sat me down and told me in no uncertain terms that if I couldn’t tell anyone the meaning of the word then I couldn’t say it. So that was the end of my career of swearing until much later in life.

However, I did take what she said to heart, which is when I started trying to read the dictionary. Continue reading “Trying to Sound Smart”

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That’s So Gay

Student: That’s so gay.
Me: I don’t think that’s what you mean.
Student: Uh, yeah, I mean it.
Me: Gay? Really?
Student: See, this guy was hitting on this other guy.
Me: Well, then I guess that would be gay.

When I was in high school, there were several things the cool kids (and sometimes even the not so cool kids) would say recurringly to demean me. They would call me four eyes, which was okay because I wore glasses. They would call me Urkel, because I reminded them of that nerdy character from TV. I admit I did look somewhat like him. And they would call me gay. I never quite understood that one, though. Continue reading “That’s So Gay”

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I Don’t Exist

He pretends I don’t exist, with this carefree air about him that disguises the turmoil I hope he feels. Whether it is turmoil over missing out, or if the turmoil is that I’m still here, I don’t think I’ll ever know, but I do know it has to be there. Otherwise, what has it all really been about for him all this time?

And we’ve never met, although we’ve been in the same building, the same room, even the same small airspace many different times. My wife and children are even genetically linked to this man, not that you would know it from the moments we’ve been close enough to have conversations that never existed.

Continue reading “I Don’t Exist”